Movement DisordersNCT06848530
Neurophysiology of the Basal Ganglia, Thalamus, and Cerebellum in Patients With Movement Disorders
A study testing Prescribed Medications and Deep brain stimulation adjustment in people with Movement Disorders, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The research study is being conducted to better understand parts of the human brain called the cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum in patients with movement disorders (such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, or ataxia). These brain structures are involved in movement disorders. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Movement Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Prescribed Medications and Deep brain stimulation adjustment
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 10 Dec 2025to Apr 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients 18 years of age and above
- Any patient who has been diagnosed by a movement disorders neurologist with one of the following movement disorders:
- Parkinson's disease
- Dystonia
- Tremor, including essential tremor
- Cerebellar ataxia
- Other hyperkinetic movement disorders, such as chorea and tics
Who cannot join
- Patients with dementia
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107
Charlotte Abeshaus, 215-746-4850, Charlotte.Abeshaus@PennMedicine.upenn.edu
Lauren Hammer, MD, PhD
About this study
The research study is being conducted to better understand parts of the human brain called the cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum in patients with movement disorders (such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, or ataxia). These brain structures are involved in movement disorders. This study attempts to better understand the brain electrical activity associated with these disorders, both in patients with and without deep brain stimulation (DBS). Recordings are made from the scalp with a noninvasive electrode and/or through the DBS stimulator if the participant has a stimulator model that is able to sense brain activity. These recordings are analyzed along with measures of movement disorder symptoms to identify brain signal signatures of symptoms.
- Conditions
- Movement Disorders
- Being tested
- Prescribed Medications, Deep brain stimulation adjustment
- Medical subject headings
- Movement Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Prescribed MedicationsOther
participant's movement disorders medications, prescribed by their treating physician
Deep brain stimulation adjustmentOther
Deep brain stimulator parameters may be adjusted within normal clinical limits
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participants without Deep Brain Stimulators | Experimental | Multimodal neurophysiology (for example, electroencephalography and electromyography) will be measured during the following:
Movement disorder medication administration -The patient's movement disorders medications, prescribed by their treating physicians outside of this study, may be administered during an experimental session. Receives: Other: Prescribed Medications |
| Participants with Deep Brain Stimulators | Experimental | Multimodal neurophysiology (for example, electroencephalography and electromyography) will be measured during the following:
Movement disorder medication administration -The patient's movement disorders medications, prescribed by their treating physicians outside of this study, may be administered during an experimental session.
Deep brain stimulator (DBS) adjustment - Participants who have had deep brain stimulation implantation as part of their standard-of-care clinical treatment may participate in this study. The patient's stimulator may be adjusted within normal clinical limits during an experimental session. Receives: Other: Prescribed Medications; Other: Deep brain stimulation adjustment |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neural signal biomarkers
Spatiotemporal patterns of brain neural activity (neural signal biomarkers / neurophysiologic signatures) associated with movement disorders symptoms.
Measured: 5 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Feb 2025
- Study start10 Dec 2025
- Primary completionApr 2030 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Movement DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lauren Hammer, University of Pennsylvania
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06848530
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 857558
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Feb 2025
- Last updated
- 14 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neurophysiology of the Basal Ganglia, Thalamus, and Cerebellum in Patients With Movement Disorders
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06848530
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 857558
- Conditions
- Movement Disorders
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 27 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The research study is being conducted to better understand parts of the human brain called the cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum in patients with movement disorders (such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, or ataxia). These brain structures are involved in movement disorders. This study attempts to better understand the brain electrical activity associated with these disorders, both in patients with and without deep brain stimulation (DBS). Recordings are made from the scalp with a noninvasive electrode and/or through the DBS stimulator if the participant has a stimulator model that is able to sense brain activity. These recordings are analyzed along with measures of movement disorder symptoms to identify brain signal signatures of symptoms.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participants without Deep Brain Stimulators | Experimental | Other: Prescribed MedicationsMultimodal neurophysiology (for example, electroencephalography and electromyography) will be measured during the following: Movement disorder medication administration -The patient's movement disorders medications, prescribed by their treating physicians outside of this study, may be administered during an experimental session. |
| Participants with Deep Brain Stimulators | Experimental | Other: Prescribed Medications, Other: Deep brain stimulation adjustmentMultimodal neurophysiology (for example, electroencephalography and electromyography) will be measured during the following: Movement disorder medication administration -The patient's movement disorders medications, prescribed by their treating physicians outside of this study, may be administered during an experimental session. Deep brain stimulator (DBS) adjustment - Participants who have had deep brain stimulation implantation as part of their standard-of-care clinical treatment may participate in this study. The patient's stimulator may be adjusted within normal clinical limits during an experimental session. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Patients 18 years of age and above
- Any patient who has been diagnosed by a movement disorders neurologist with one of the following movement disorders:
- Parkinson's disease
- Dystonia
- Tremor, including essential tremor
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients with dementia
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed Medicationsparticipant's movement disorders medications, prescribed by their treating physician | Other | Participants with Deep Brain Stimulators, Participants without Deep Brain Stimulators |
| Deep brain stimulation adjustmentDeep brain stimulator parameters may be adjusted within normal clinical limits | Other | Participants with Deep Brain Stimulators |
Primary outcome
Neural signal biomarkers
Time frame: 5 years
Spatiotemporal patterns of brain neural activity (neural signal biomarkers / neurophysiologic signatures) associated with movement disorders symptoms.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jul 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia, United States
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Prescribed Medications and Deep brain stimulation adjustment in people with Movement Disorders, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neural signal biomarkers (time frame: 5 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Jul 2026.